Current-motor.



M. E. WINANS.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION F$ LED MAR :5. H316.

, JD i li flri llf iil r Ii 5] nuentoz attain am n Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

' porarily or to erect part of the entire UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON E. WINANS, 6F LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Application filed March 15. 1916.

T 0 all wlwm'z't may concern Be it known that I, Murrow E. WVINANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Island (ity, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in (urrent-lylotors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for transforming the force of a flowing stream into useful energy. so that the power derived from the. current may be applied to any purpose for which motors are used.

The principal object is to provideva motor applicable to any stream or river, irrespective of the rapidity of its current, and of any desired capacity compatible with the size of the stream, so that the whole or a current may act upon it.

Another object is to provide a motor of relatively cheap construction, which requires no special care or supervision a'fter its installation, and in which the full force of the current is utilized.

These and other objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figured is a general plan view showing an embodiment of the invention, the cover being partially removed, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Iii the installation of the device it is usually necessary to divert the stream tem- -a cofi'er-dam so that the location for the foundation of the superstructure .may be clearly determined, and suitable excavation made for receiving the same. This excavation need not extend far below the bed of the stream, only sutiicient to obtain a firm and secure foundation being necessary. This will be clearly evident upon examination of the draw1ng, pm't1c\ ilarlv Fig. 2. in which .the foundation 10 15 shown to extend slightly below the stream bed 11, the foundation being made of hydraulic cement or the like. which, when set is unaffected by the movement of the stream.

One part of the foundation 1s extended vertically upward, forming an abutment 15, the same having an exterior semi-circular profile 16 and a huh portion 17, the latter heingconcentrie with the outer portion, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

il-atented Nov. 14, 1916. Serial No. 84,331. I

of considerable smaller radius. Extending between these portions, and joined attheir outer ends by curves 18 and 19, are straight surfaces 20 and 2,1, the same being tangential to a line drawn between the center of the abutment and the hub 17. Inserted in the center of the hub 17, is a bushing 23 having a flange 24, the bushing being bored to receive the lower end and form a foot bearing for a vertical shaft 25 having a flange 26 to which is rigidly secured i 27, the radius of which is slightly greater than that of the semi-circular wall 16, so as to extend beyond it. Secured to the periphery of the plate 27 and equally spaced around it are a plurality of bars 30 extend ing downwardly nearly or quite to the upper surface of the foundation l0 and having pivotally mounted on them rectangular plates or vanes 32 adapted to swing freely thereon. Also attached to the lower side of the plate 27 are bracket elements 33, having a Iportion 34, placed on the plate in such prisition that when the vanes 32 contact with them that the vanes will alsobe radial with respect to the device, the brackets passing through a curved recess 22 formed in the top of the abutment 15. In Fig. 1 other raised blocks 35 are shown, the same indicating the foundation for such building or superstructlu'e which may be desired to erect with relation to the motor in the stream, and which are used to control the guides or mountings for the vertical shaft 25.

In operation, the stream running in the direction indicated by the arrows, will impinge upon the blades 32 directly that their extreme inner ends pass the curved point 1.), swinging clear of the straight portion 21 of the abutment. and assume a position as indicated by the. drawing, that is make. contact with the uprights 5H. s i that the pressure of water causes the plate 27 to rotate, through its connections, carrying with it the shaft. When, however, the inner ends of the vanes make contact with the wall 20 of the abutment. they are caused to move outwardly, swinging freely upon the pivots 30 so as to be inoperative by the current and are brought consecutively around the curved surface of the abutment until they pass the curve 19.

While I have thus far described an embodiment of the invention. modifications may be made without departing from the beyond thv voiilinegeneral scope of the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not desire to be held atrirtly to the eoostruct'ion-shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ii

1. In a rurrent with a foundation stream. of a suhnu-rged, rigid abutment formed with said foundation, said abutment having a rain prolile. a shaft mounted (011' rentrir to the mowed portions of said abut merit, a plate vari'ied l: said shaft adapted to rotate thereon-r. a plurality of vanes pivoted pendant to said plate. and means ronihined \vi1h voaid plate whereby said \anw are held radial when opposed to the llou' ol' the vnrrt-nl. ulna-eh said plate and .hai L are mused to rotate.

:3. In a ruri'rnl motor. the

roinhination with loundalion lixod III {Inmotor. the combination boil ul a stream. ol an abutment formed with said foundation. --aul a utment exirnding: vortirallv abou- [llv foundation and having an EH'l'llzlll pi'oiihioinrd b :draig'hi lateral ar uair huh porti n of lesser naain portion, a shall hub. a ('ll't lltll plate mid plauextending! alnllnuad. a

aurlar -a lo an radius than 'm mounted "Hillzll oi the aha-h ll to al l hllill loi billll lived in the bed of a plurality of pendant vanes hingedlv engaged at the periphery of said plate, means: on said plate adapted to engage with said vanes whereby they are held radial during a portion of their movement and means formed with said abutment whereby said vanes are caused to move tangentially dun ing the remainder of their movement 3. In a current motor a circular plate mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, a pluralit of rertangular vanes pivoted verli rally at one of their shorter edgea at uniform intervals near the periphery of said plate, a level horizontal aurl'aecover which said vanes operate. a fixed abutment having oppositely disposed arruatr'lati-ral H1! faves extending upward to a insight equine lent to the width of said (anew one oi the arruate surl ares' having: a radius mini'ilelllilllnl to the lrngllh of said vanes between ilua\i.- of th plate and (MW/F rrr'per rind lln' oilu'r arruati' surlzu'e lin no a radius slightly within pint of aaul di anes radiai When oppoami ll! (m3 rill-rent. and means for l value.

nannlo this arili 'ation.

the pivotal sillll'm m ans on ipled to ill/HH- inotion imparted to said plate by mu MILTON l2.

said pialr ad; lain utihrznig' ilw rotary In testimon WhrH-of I haw eigned my 

